It is now becoming more widely understood that taking the necessary measures to make our homes more energy efficient also comes with substantial savings for our back pockets. The amount of money that can be saved on energy bills varies according to each individual’s circumstances. But there is no doubt that there are plenty of ways homeowners can make changes and save money. This can be through the way they source and produce energy in their homes, as well as the way they use it, especially given the abundance of older, less energy efficient properties in the UK.

One area in particular which is seeing enormous interest and take up is microgeneration products, also known as renewable energy technologies. Microgeneration is the generation of heat or electricity by renewable or low carbon technologies to power and heat individual’s homes, businesses and communities.

Opting to install a renewable energy technology is an expensive outlay for anyone and for some this might be a daunting process, which is why a purchase such as this needs thoroughly researching to understand what is the most suitable technology for a home or business premises.

Equally important is choosing who is going to install the right technology, using a qualified accredited company is a must, as well as choosing one that is MCS accredited (Microgeneration Certification Scheme). This MCS accreditation is especially important if you’re hoping to secure a one off grant through the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme as well as payments through the Government’s Feed-in-Tariff or the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

Thankfully there are many great resources available online where people can research and educate themselves regarding the technologies available, their suitability, costs to install and the benefits including the potential savings that can be achieved on their energy bills.

1. Renewables Guide – Leading UK resource for information on renewable technologies as well as finding MCS accredited green and renewable energy installers and suppliers (which includes genuine and trustworthy customer reviews).
2. Energy Saving Trust – The Energy Saving Trust is a foundation that works in partnership with government, local authorities, third sector organisations and businesses. It gives impartial, accurate and independent advice on how to reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably and how to save money on energy bills.
3. YouGen – Helps make it easy for people to get the information they need to invest in renewable energy and find trustworthy installers.

A great incentive to help towards the costs that homeowners and businesses will incur when opting to install and use a microgeneration product are one off grant payments available through the RHPP scheme as well as the Governments Feed-in-Tariff scheme. In addition to this, is the opportunity to get money back for the renewable heat energy individuals produce through the Government’s RHI scheme. The RHI scheme is already up and running in the industrial, business and public sectors, with a domestic RHI scheme being launched in the summer of 2013. For more information on all these schemes visit the Energy Saving Trust ‘Getting Money Back’ web page.